Handle



H. G. THOMPSON.

HANDLE APPLICATION FILED MAR. $1 920. v 1,374,251; Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

HENRY G. THGMIESON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Zatent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed Ta'i'arch 6, 1920. Serial No. 363,881.

1 '0 all whom it may concern.

lie it lmown that I, HENRY G. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of (luyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Handles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object the provision of a handle made from a single uni-' automobiles are made by casting the same.

of malleable iron.

A sheet metal handle is much cheaper to manufacture and consequently can be sold much cheaper but the sheet metal handle of usual construction would not be stiff enough nor strong enough to stand the strains which are frequently placed upon it, nor would it successfully serve its purpose without certain provision to provide for the protection of the screws by which it is secured to the battery box. The present construction fulhis the necessary and desirable characteristics.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the handle; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the handle; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 33 of Fig. 2, and Fig. a is a substantially vertical section through the handle.

Referrin to the drawings, 1 indicates the body of metal. At the upper portion thereof metal is cut away to provide an opening such as indicated at 2, which permits the insertion of the hand. A portion of the metal which is removed from the space 2 is bent upwardly as indicated at Fig. i, and forms the lower portion 3 of the grip or handle proper. The upper portion of the handle is formed by bending the upper portion of the sheet of metal as indicated at 4 to meet the lower portion 3. It should be noted that the point of juncture is not at the bottom, if we term it that, of the grip part 5, but is at the side, and this is purposeful, inasmuch as it prevents the acid fumes which are always present in the vicinit of a battery from entering inside of the grip portion 5, as would be a likely circumstance if the juncture or line of meeting were at the lower portion of the grip part 5. As will be well understood, if acid fumes get within the grip portion 5 they would soon corrode the metal.

The handle at the ends of the grip por tion 5 has parts '6 and 7 which provide the connecting portions between the grip and the lower portion of the handle. These portions if merely made of flat sheet metal, would not be strong enough to resist the bending action to which they are subjected in use. Therefore at these portions an elongated bead 8 is provided which displacement of metal results in strengthening these portions of the handle sutlicient to withstand the strain of usage.

The handles which are attached to battery bones are usually secured to the boxes by means of screws, and the present handle is so secured. inasmuch as it frequently happens that battery acid is spilled upon these handles it is desirable and necessary to countersink the screw heads so as to protect them against the acid. lhe countersinlring is easily accomplished in a cast metal handle or similar handle where there is a sutli cient thickness of metal to permit this, but where as in the present instance the handle is made out of a comparatively light gage of sheet metal, other means must be adopted to protect the heads of the screws. In the present instance this has been accomplished by striking out an annular bead, such as indicated at 9 in a, this head surrounding each screw opening such as indicated at 10.

The dimension of the bead is such that it receives the head of the screw and when the screw is in final position the head of the screw is to all intents and purposes countersunk below the surface of the metal handle, and the bead serves to deflect acid that may drip upon the plate so that the head of the screw is protected.

The struck up head just referred to also serves to stiffen the metal and materially resist the bending of the sheet metal of which the handle is made and leaves the full thickness of metal for the strength of the head.

In order to insure against corrosion the handle, while made of sheet steel or sheet iron, is provided with a coating of metallic lead which may be conveniently provided. by a plating process which is well known in the art. The acid does not attack the lead, and consequently the composite handle pro vided by the body of sheet iron or steel with its coating or covering of lead provides an eflicient handle for the purpose and one which may be manufactured at low cost.

I claiin- 1. A handle made of sheet metal comprising an integral body portion the body portion being provided with an opening adjacent one end thereof and provided with a grip part which is formed by bending op- )osite flan es of metal so that the meet above the lower portion of the handle, the parts of the handle which connect the grip with the body portion being formed with upstanding ribs or heads, the body portion being provided with openingsadapted to receive a fastenin means, the metal surrounding the said openings being formed as a circularbead all for the purpose described.

2. A composite handle for battery boxes comprising a base or body made of sheet metal said body having an opening therethrough adjacent one end, and a grip portion formed by bending portions of the body to provide a substantially hollow grip the portions of the body which connect the grip with the body portion being provided with upstanding ribs or beads, the body portion being provided with openings adapted to receive fastening means, the body being provided with an annular struck up bead surrounding each of said openings, and a coating of metallic lead covering and encasing the said body or base portion.

In testimony whereof l hereunto ailix my signature.

HENRY G. THOMPDON. 

